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Probiotics to jolt someone out of a flare

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 1/30/2021 1:22 PM (GMT 0)
So, my integrative medicine doctor inadvertently got me into a nasty flare by putting me on natural antimicrobials. I don’t blame her. She was trying to change the microbiome. Im not blaming just sharing a detail.

That was in November. Ever since, I’ve been in a terrible flare.

I had a colonoscopy last week and for what it’s worth my gastro says my colon looks great. I saw pictures and agree. It’s never looked better.

But, the diarrhea is horrendous - watery and like a firehouse. I sometimes can’t make it to the bathroom in time. Not a lot of mucus and no blood.

Anyway, I’ve found over time that sometimes just adding a different probiotic can make a huge difference. It’s like the mix I’m on that was once working so well no longer does.

I’m on Mutiflor, lots of bifido bacterium, rhamnosus gg, planetarum, s. Boulaardi.

I’m wondering if someone has a strain that has worked for them. The mix I’m using is a good mix. It just isn’t working right now.
Posted 1/30/2021 5:29 PM (GMT 0)
Yeah, changing your microbiome is possibly risky because nobody understands the microbiome and it's super complicated. I consulted with a few microbiome researchers for UC at my university hospital and they all say that the field is really in it's infancy and they are pretty far away still from developing effective drugs for UC by altering microbiome. Maybe we are 5 yeas away. If your colonoscopy is normal (no inflammation) the good news is that you aren't in a UC flare. Ask your GI if you have any inflammation at all? It seems like you are having diarrhea from all the anitmicrobials and possibly probiotics you introduced. This is prob. easier to fix than a flare.

You are on a lot of probiotics even though the ones you picked are well researched. They can still not agree with you.

What meds are you on? Diet? My advice is to ask your GI to check for pathogens in your stool (C diff, bacteria), get rid of the antimicrobials, cut out the probiotics, eat a very simple diet (chicken soap, bone broth), and then when D stops you can gradually introduce only one probiotic at a time and track how you are doing. High doses of probiotics when having watery D may not be a good fit.

Post Edited (Jane974) : 1/30/2021 10:44:34 AM (GMT-7)

Posted 1/30/2021 5:32 PM (GMT 0)
Get on meds...mesalamine oral and rectal at this point. Being on them isn't a failure, by the way.

I take probiotics, but certainly have never assumed them to get me out of a flare.

q
Posted 1/31/2021 2:59 AM (GMT 0)
Over many years, I have used VSL#3, Visbiome, Mutaflor, Activia, kefir, SEED, RenewLife Ultimate Flora, bifido bacterium, rhamnosus gg, planetarum, s. Boulaardi, several others I can't remember. I also tried medically administered FMT in a clinical trial.

No obvious effect from any of them. My doc advises that VSL#3 and/or Visbiome may help keep me from getting worse. It makes sense that introducing beneficial bacteria could help UC. But I have never been able to connect any improvement (short term or long term) to any bacteria I put into my gut, except sometimes I get extra gas.

I trace a worsening of my UC many years ago to a course of oral antibiotics (clindamycin). But it seems like however my microbiome got screwed up by the antibiotics, it is not getting restored through probiotics.
Posted 2/2/2021 10:55 PM (GMT 0)
For anyone looking for a good probiotic, I always suggest Udo's Super 8 Hi-Potency. They're pricey ($20-$40), but worth every penny. I have Crohn's, and taking them has helped me leaps and bounds with urgency and firming of my stool. (Before I consistently added Udo's 2x daily, I had D and "pudding stool" 5-10 times a day)

Even when I was in-between meds and was taking Udo's by itself, I could tell a big difference. But now that I'm taking Udo's + Stelara, I have formed stool again for the first time in YEARS. And yes, the Udo's is still playing it's part - I ran out of them for a couple weeks and my poop went a bit wonky again. Give them a try!
Posted 2/4/2021 4:19 PM (GMT 0)
look into Florastor - I heard it from here on another thread, Costco sells it, and I tried it, I think it made a difference for me. but it has lactose so if you are intolerant to lactose be careful
Posted 2/5/2021 3:19 AM (GMT 0)
Florastor is pretty good - it's what I used before switching to Udo's. Now I feel like no other probiotic can really compare! If you can swing the price, I'd still recommend trying Udo's.
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